Profits and Pastimes
by StoryWeaver56
Summary: When Nog wants help from Jake to prove himself a worthy nephew to Quark, Jake soon finds himself involved in more than he bargained for! Set in Season 1.
1. Dangling

_**Chapter 1: Dangling**_

Jake Sisko sat at his desk in Mrs. O'Brien's classroom, waiting for the class to begin. He peered around him at the other students, all of different age ranges. Jake thought it must be hard for Mrs. O'Brien to teach such a range of students of different ages and different species, even, but she always managed to find a way. While thirteen-year-old Jake had never been much of a fan of school, he was glad that if he had to go, Keiko O'Brien would be his teacher.

Jake awkwardly thumbed his PADD on the desk in front of him, listening to the engaged chatter of the students around him. Since none of the other students were really his age, Jake didn't know who to talk to and about what, but he didn't want to just sit alone and quiet. Jake turned around to look at the students around him, hoping to find someone to begin a conversation with, just so he could feel included. There was one student—Jake thought his name was Krilik—who sat in the back, also silent. But he was entirely focused on voraciously licking the Bajoran Jumja stick in his hand with no worries in the world. Or the station. Jake sighed and turned back in his seat. _Where's Nog? _he thought, looking at the vacant desk before his, where his best friend was supposed to sit. _He's gonna be late…_

"Quiet down, class." Jake looked over to Mrs. O'Brien who was trying to get the class to settle down. "It's time to begin!" she tried again, her hands clasped in front of her. The talkative students didn't cease their chatter at her request. Jake was the only student who sat quietly and attentively waiting for class to begin.

Jake noticed Mrs. O'Brien walk over to the lighting controls and press a button. As the lights dimmed, the students immediately stopped talking. Even though the effect had worked with Jake many times before, when he actually thought about it, it never ceased to amaze him how just turning the lights off could calm the excited students while an imploring teacher couldn't.

Mrs. O'Brien turned to lights back on and took her place in the front of the classroom, where she peered at the students sitting quietly at their desks. "Well, that's better!" she said. "But, we need to be more quiet next time, ok?" She gave the students an encouraging smile, and with their nods of assent and after telling Krilik he needed to dispose of his Jumja stick, she turned to the board and began her lecture.

Right then, Nog burst into the room, PADD under one arm, Ferengi headwear lopsided. He quickly scurried to his desk, an expression on his face like he hoped beyond hope that Mrs. O'Brien wouldn't notice.

Of course, she did. "Nog, where have you been?"

Nog's eyes widened at her question. "Um, I-I was just caught behind some people in the Promenade. They were crowding around for—some reason…"

"Oh, really? We should see what's going on—"

"No!" Nog said, a little too quickly. Then, at the curious expression on Mrs. O'Brien's face, he said, slower. "No, the—uh—whatever they were looking at is gone now."

Jake rolled his eyes at his friend's attempt at getting off the hook. If he would just tell the truth, maybe he wouldn't get in trouble. Lying never helped anything, Jake had learned. But Nog was a Ferengi, and Jake had heard that the Ferengi believed if you didn't get caught lying, there was nothing wrong with the immoral act.

Mrs. O'Brien looked like she wouldn't take it. "Nog, just try to be on time tomorrow." With that said, she turned back to the board and continued her lecture on the parts of an atom.

After a moment of Nog settling himself into place, Jake leaned forward and straightened the crooked headgear that rested on the back of the Ferengi's large head. He thought he would do his friend a favor. "Nog," he whispered.

Nog turned his head slightly so that he could better hear Jake but that, if Mrs. O'Brien turned around, it would look like he was paying attention.

"Where were you for real?"

Nog gave a small sigh. "My uncle was yelling at me," he admitted, pain filling his voice. Jake felt bad for him—he wouldn't want someone like Quark yelling at him, and he never liked it when his father gave him a lecture he didn't want to hear.

"About what?" Jake asked. He couldn't help that he was curious.

Nog glanced over to Mrs. O'Brien, who was about to turn away from the board and ask a question of the class. She would surely notice Nog and Jake talking at that point.

"Look—I'll tell you later," Nog said. Besides not wanting to get caught by the teacher, he didn't want to talk about it right now anyway.

Jake nodded and settled back in his seat. He hoped everything was ok with his devious Ferengi friend.

~/~/~/~/~/~

Jake Sisko and Nog sat on the edge of the upper level of the Promenade, legs dangling above the pedestrian's heads. They leaned against the railing supports beside them, letting the structures hold some of their weight. When there was nothing else to do aboard Deep Space Nine, Nog and Jake just sat there and watched the passersby, Nog sometimes throwing small objects at the aliens below. While Jake thought their surprised and angry expressions were kind of funny, he didn't throw anything at them, himself. He just wasn't as brave as Nog, he supposed.

"So, do you wanna tell me about what happened this morning?" Jake asked his friend. Nog had been in a dismal mood all day and Jake was just itching to know what could make his usually upbeat friend so depressed.

Nog glared down at the vendors and their customers, staying silent for a moment. Then, he sighed. "My uncle yelled at me. He told me I was useless and that my lobes would never be big enough for profitable business."

Jake wanted to say, _Come on, Nog, this came from Quark! _but he didn't. That would be too mean. He knew that there was something in Nog that looked up to that Ferengi and Jake didn't want to hurt Nog any further than he already was.

Instead, Jake asked, "Well, what made him say that?" He hoped he could help his friend through this.

Nog raised his arms and clenched his red-toned hands around the railing above him while swinging his legs. While the railing above their heads didn't support the young teens as they sat there on the edge of the upper level, they didn't care. It was something to do. "Well, I was helping out in Uncle Quark's this morning, and I—well, I kinda spilled a drink on one of the customers…"

"Quark keeps his bar open even in the mornings?" Jake asked, surprised to hear this bit of information.

Nog looked at him as if he had grown three heads. "Well, yes. There's latinum to be had at all hours of the day!"

Jake shook his head and looked back down at the passersby. A strange alien with very large feet lumbered by. "So…anyway, then what happened?" he asked.

Nog, seeing the alien, started looking around on the floor of the upper level for something. Then, finding a perfect little renegade bead, he picked it up and tossed it at the alien's head. It bounced off his head, and the alien looked up and shook its fist at the boys. The gesture was universally understood: he wasn't happy about their meddling around. Jake started to laugh and Nog joined in. It was nice to hear Nog laugh today.

The alien then shuffled off, no doubt realizing that it would only take him another twenty minutes to actually get up to the upper level and tell the boys what for. With the passing by of the large-footed alien, Nog continued to talk.

"So then, the customer complained—you see, the drink was hot, and I didn't know it, I thought it was cold, and that's what made me spill it 'cuz it hurt my hands real bad—and he told Uncle Quark, and Uncle Quark yelled at me. So I had to clean up the mess and that's what made me late."

Jake nodded his understanding. "Well, why didn't you tell that to Mrs. O'Brien? It would've been a lot easier than lying."

Nog looked over at Jake. "Are you kidding?" he hissed. "I'm not telling her I made a mistake and my uncle told me I don't have the lobes for financial prosperity!"

Jake thought it was funny how Nog only knew big words that had to do with money. He nodded and the two boys looked back down at the frequenters of the Promenade.

After sitting together in dismal silence, Jake spoke up. "Well, why don't we prove Quark wrong?" he suggested.

Nog looked up at this, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"How can we do that?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe set up our own business?"

Nog shook his head. "No, hew-mon, who will buy from some kids like us?"

"Tons of people! People love kids like us! They would buy anything we would sell!"

Nog was still doubtful. "What would we sell? We have nothing. And we couldn't charge them latinum for it. Latinum is the only thing that would make Uncle Quark see that I'm useful for Ferengi business."

Jake could see his point. They both sat on the edge of the upper level of the Promenade, stumped. They swung their legs back and forth slightly, enjoying the feel.

Then, Nog turned his head to face Jake. "I know! We can steal latinum from the customers who have won at Dabo! All we have to do is, when they're not looking—"

Jake stopped Nog's enthusiastic idea with a swift shake of his head. "I'm not stealing anything. And we've done that before, remember?"

Nog thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "We _have _done that before," he confirmed, that dismal tone sneaking into his voice again. "But I know I need latinum to really prove myself to him. To any Ferengi."

"Why is latinum so important to Ferengis?" Jake asked, mistakenly adding the usual English plural marker to the word.

"No, the question is, why is latinum so _unimportant _to hew-mons?" Nog was just as confused about human fascinations as Jake was confused with Ferengi fascinations.

They both sat thoughtfully for another moment.

Then, Nog spoke up. "Jake, I have the _perfect _idea!"

Jake looked over at Nog excitedly. "What?" he asked.

"We can steal some of Uncle Quark's latinum, show it to him, like _we _earned it, then give it back without him even knowing! That way, we won't _really _be stealing _and _we'll prove I'm not so useless as he thinks I am! What do you say?"

Jake looked at Nog a little uncomfortably. "But, it _is _stealing."

"Not if Uncle Quark doesn't know," Nog said.

"_Yes_, it's still stealing whether he knows or not!"

"You have a lot to learn, hew-mon! Uncle Quark won't even know!"

"But, won't you want to keep the latinum?"

Nog shrugged. "We'll see what happens."

Jake shook his head. "I don't know…" he said uncertainly.

"Look, are you with me, or not?"

Before Jake could answer, the two boys heard a voice right behind them.

"Mr. Sisko, Nog," it said, warningly.

_Oh, great,_ Jake thought. _Odo._

"Haven't I told you boys _no dangling_?"

Nog started to get up, and Jake thought he should, too. "But, Constable, we aren't doing any harm!"

"That's not what I've been told," Odo said, gruffly. His arms were folded across his chest, a sign he wasn't going to budge. It seemed like someone had tattled on the boys, probably that big-footed alien. Jake knew that look on the shapeshifter's ambiguous face: it was either leave, or be dragged away.

"Come on, Nog, let's go," Jake said. Nog didn't protest. He was done with getting lectured for one day.

As the two walked off, Odo shaking his head behind them, Nog asked, "So, is that a yes?"

Jake thought over Nog's gloom that day. "Fine," Jake said. "If it will make you feel better."

Nog smiled and skipped off to the spiral stairs that led off of the upper level and down to the bustling Promenade.


	2. Like Stealing Latinum From Quark

_**Chapter 2: Like Stealing Latinum from Quark**_

"I look like a foolish hew-mon in this!" Nog proclaimed, brow furrowed in contempt.

Jake peered into Quark's Bar as an alien left, allowing the doors to slide open long enough for him to get a good look inside. "Be quiet, Nog, you look fine!" he said.

"No, I don't!" Nog protested.

This made Jake turn back around. "Well, how else do you suggest we should get in? I'm only allowed to go in there to play ball in one of the holosuites. Otherwise, if Quark doesn't know my intent, he's gonna have to ask me to leave."

"Uncle Quark doesn't care," Nog protested.

"But Dad and Odo do!" Jake said. "Come on Nog, just…deal with it!"

Nog looked down at the baseball clothing he was borrowing from Jake and frowned in disgust. Then, he looked over at the catcher's mitt in his hand. "I don't even know what this _does_," he growled as he tried it out, swinging it around and flexing his fingers. He looked like he was trying to catch fireflies with it.

"It doesn't matter, just…come on!" With this, Jake tugged on Nog's arm and dragged him through the silver doors to the bar.

Inside, music was playing, aliens were laughing, and glasses were clinking. Voices chorused "Dabo!" right as Jake and Nog were coming in, and the infectious attitudes of the winners made Jake smile. He couldn't wait 'til he was old enough to actually be a part of the fun.

Behind him, Nog kept tugging at his baseball uniform, looking almost embarrassed. Jake shook his head. To be Ferengi would be a pretty tough life.

Jake and Nog neared the bar, and Jake casually rubbed up against it as if he was planning on strolling to the holosuites instead of making his usual beeline to them. Then, seeing no sign of Quark, he took his baseball bat from leaning against his shoulder and leisurely placed it with the end on the ground, his right hand holding the other end of it.

"Now what?" Nog asked. "Wait, wasn't this _my_ idea? Shouldn't _I _be the one who knows what the next part of the plan is?"

"You were, but you couldn't think of any better way of doing this other than sneaking around and looking suspicious."

Nog started to protest, but stopped as soon as he saw some latinum being set on one of the tables as the guests began to leave. "That's it!" he whispered to Jake. "That's the latinum we'll take!"

"I thought we were going to take Quark's latinum?" Jake asked.

"We _are_, hew-mon! They're leaving it for Uncle Quark!"

"Well, how do you propose you get it?"

Nog's eyes never left the shining golden ingots. "Watch and learn how a Ferengi does it," he said. At this point, Jake was too amused to care that he wasn't supposed to be standing there. He just leaned back against the bar and watched as Nog walked over, trying to pretend like he was a part of the scene. Then, as soon as Nog was about to wrap his hands around the latinum, a voice spoke right in Jake's ear, making his jump a mile.

"Jake Sisko! How've you been?"

Jake turned around and saw the face of Quark peering into his. He was so shocked in seeing the man he was trying to hide from, that he could barely answer the adult Ferengi. "Uh…I-I'm good! You?"

"I'm fine, fine. Just working hard to pay the bills!" Quark winced when he heard the shouts of "Dabo!" coming from the Dabo table. "From the sounds of it I'm gonna be out of business by the end of the night," he said, irritation seeping from his words.

Jake knew Quark was probably completely fine when it came to his financial situation—what with all the latinum he got every day—but he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he nervously peered over his shoulder to see if Nog was finished with his job. Suddenly, Jake was thinking maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Are you alright?" Quark asked, noticing Jake's distracted look. "You look a little pale."

"Uh, yeah, uh, I'm fine." Jake couldn't think of anything but getting caught. He would be in for it if that were the case!

To Jake's horror, Quark peered behind Jake at the place he had just looked. _This is it—we're done for good!_

But, thankfully, instead of seeing Nog stealing the latinum, Quark saw only the guests from that table walk by and begin to leave the bar.

Jake watched as Quark plastered a smile on his face—one that barely concealed his snaggleteeth. He directed that smile toward the leaving customers.

"Please, come again! I enjoyed your company! And, remember, my place is the only place that offers the variety in refreshments and entertainment that you crave!" Jake couldn't help but think Quark sounded like a holo-ad. The customers nodded their heads at the bartender in acknowledgement, then proceeded out the door. Quark looked over at Jake. "Shouldn't you be on your way to the holosuite? If Odo finds you dawdling about, you'll be in trouble," Quark spoke his last words in a singsong voice, almost as if he knew what it felt like to get in trouble from Odo, which Jake thought he probably did.

"Um, yeah, I was just on my way," Jake stammered.

"While you go enjoy, I'll just collect some latinum!" Quark rubbed his hands together greedily and started over to the table Nog was at. Jake turned to look—

—And noticed Nog wasn't there. He had done it.

Now, it was time to get the heck out.

As Jake turned to skedaddle his way out of the bar as fast as he could, he ran smack into someone.

"Jake!" the person said.

Jake Sisko breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Nog.

"Look what I have!" he said triumphantly, holding up the three strips of gold-pressed latinum in his left hand while his catcher's mitt hung useless on his right. "I told you I could steal it!"

"Steal what?" a sharp voice spoke behind them.

Jake looked up at the figure haloing Nog's form. That beige Bajoran security uniform was becoming all too familiar.

"Uh-oh," Nog breathed. Jake's heart sped up as he realized the young Ferengi was about to make a run for it. He knew that look on his friend's face.

"Mr. Sisko, Nog," the voice said warningly for the second time that day.

And, before he could say any more, Nog turned around and started to run for the door.

"Nog!" Jake yelled. His reflex was to run with his friend, but his head said _no_. Besides that, the only thing his head was telling him was _Dad's gonna kill me! _

Before the little Ferengi could get very far, Constable Odo stuck out a leg, tripping Nog, and reached out and grabbed the boy's arm before he could hit the ground. The latinum fell onto the floor plating with a clatter.

Jake felt horrible. No, not just horrible, _miserable_. His dad had to deal with problems from Cardassians and whatnot all day long, and now he would come home to _this_. Undoubtedly Nog and Jake would be thrown in the brig for the night.

Nog looked just as upset as Jake. Except, he was staring at his father, Rom, who was coming up to goggle at the action.

"Nog?" his father asked, his large nose unable to block the confused expression on his face. "What is this?"

Before anyone could answer, Quark came running up to them.

"Odo! Odo, I'm so glad you're here! Those customers who just left didn't leave any latinum! They're thieves! How dare they try to steal from the likes of me?"

Odo looked down at an ashamed Jake and a horrified Nog, his deep-set blue eyes within unnaturally smooth features taking in their upset expressions. "I don't think the customers are the ones who stole from you."

~/~/~/~/~/~

Jake Sisko and Nog sat on the edge of the upper level of the Promenade again, their legs swinging as they people-watched.

"So, did your dad yell at you real bad?" Jake asked Nog. He was finally able to talk to his friend again after being grounded from spending time with Nog for a week. After that painfully long week, Jake knew one thing: he wasn't going to be doing anything like that again for a long while.

Nog shook his head. "He wasn't as mad as I thought he would be," he answered.

"Really?" Jake asked. "'Cuz my dad was pretty mad. I'm grounded from going to the holosuite to play ball for a whole month!"

Nog looked over at Jake unsympathetically. "Who would want to wear that clothing and play that game, anyway? There's no profit in it."

Jake shook his head and let the matter drop. "So, why wasn't your dad very mad at you?"

Nog shrugged. "He said he wished I hadn't gotten caught. He said he wouldn't mind seeing Uncle Quark's latinum depleted a bit."

Jake threw his arms up in disbelief. "Seriously?" he said. "That's crazy! My dad would _never _tell me anything like that!" After a moment, Jake asked, a little hesitantly, "What about Quark?"

Nog lifted a hand and rubbed his lobes. "He lectured me and grabbed my lobes real hard, but I think it's ok now."

Jake didn't know how it could be ok—his own father had made it known it wasn't ok with him—but Ferengi were strange and Jake was still trying to get used to that. But, how did he and Nog ever think this plan would be a good idea? Jake shook his head to himself. He was just relieved that in the end, Nog wasn't as depressed as he was before.

"What I don't know is how they can just blow this off like it's nothing. It was stealing!" Jake continued.

Out of the corner of their eyes, Jake Sisko and Nog could see the form of Constable Odo coming toward them. As they started to stand up in silent and anticipatory obedience of the constable's certain wishes, Nog said, "That's because you're a hew-mon."

Jake smiled, but before he could protest that statement, Odo walked beside them.

"If you boys can't find another place to enjoy yourselves, I surely can," he said.

Despite the fact that Jake didn't want to spend another night in a holding cell as a "valuable lesson", he couldn't help a smile from escaping his lips as he looked over at Nog.

"We were just leaving, sir," Jake said.

"Good," Odo said curtly, and he stood there and waited for the boys to walk away and find another place to pass the time.

As the two figures walked away, a dark-skinned human teenager and a short Ferengi teen, amiably arguing with each other over something or another, the constable shook his head. He watched as they talked and laughed. Hopefully they had learned their lesson the other day, but Odo wasn't so sure he wouldn't find them up to no good again.

Hands clasped behind his back, chin raised in that way he does it, the shapeshifter continued on his rounds. He would check this spot again in another hour.

* * *

><p><em>Well, I hope you liked my fun little story! I sure enjoyed writing it! It's my first DS9, so please send me a <em>**_review_**_ and tell me what you think! And, if you liked this story, you might like my other _Star Trek _stories, too, so check out my profile! I always welcome more readers! Thank you for reading! :)_


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